Council slammed over war commemorations

A TAYSIDE community “has been denied the opportunity” to properly commemorate those who died in the First World War, a charity leader said.

Colin Rennie, Scotland manager at parks and green spaces charity Fields in Trust, has hit out at Angus councillors who voted to stop Dempster Park in Letham from joining a UK-wide scheme to commemorate the First World War.

The charity, working with Poppyscotland and Legion Scotland, had requested the council sign over rights to the park and its war memorial as part of its Centenary Parks scheme to protect it “for people to enjoy in perpetuity”.

Councillors voted against the proposal after being warned they would need the charity’s permission to develop the land or put it forward for a community buyout.

Montrose councillor Bill Duff, SNP, had warned the restrictions would “blight” the council’s ownership of the asset.

Mr Rennie said he believed there had been a misunderstanding in how the charity managed parks in its care.

He said: “Considerable work on behalf of the charity has been put into the project over five years to support Angus Council to participate in a UK-wide programme to honour the sacrifice made by people of Angus in the First World War. Throughout the process, we have been clear about what legal protection means.

“A minute of agreement between the council and Fields in Trust ensures the site will always remain available for play, sport and recreation as a living legacy.”

He said the charity currently protects 2,809 parks or green spaces across the UK, of which 273 were in Scotland and 10 in Angus.